1,000-strong workers rally for better conditions

JAKARTA (JP): About 1,000 workers from Greater Jakarta area marched through the capital Sunday morning to demand better conditions and an end to violence against workers.

Workers from the Association of Indonesia's Independent Workers Unions held the march to commemorate International Labor Day. The workers also demanded that the government pay more attention to child workers and to recognize the International Labor Day, which falls on May 1.

The peaceful march began at the circle in front of Hotel Indonesia in Central Jakarta and ended at the Volleyball stadium in the Senayan sports complex in South Jakarta, where the workers lit candles and held a moment of silence.

Earlier on Saturday, more than 300 workers, student activists and lawyers staged a rally on the campus of the University of Indonesia on Jl. Salemba in Central Jakarta on Saturday to commemorate International Labor Day.

Wearing red headbands bearing the words "May Day", workers from several companies in West and North Jakarta entered the university at about 1 p.m.

The demands aired by the workers during the rally included a 100 percent increase in standard salaries, an end to worker dismissals, a reduction in the prices of basic commodities and freedom to establish labor organizations.

"Today is our day. We should unite in our struggle to advance our demands to employers and the government officials who back the employers," a female employee said during a free speech forum.

A small scuffle broke out between the rally's organizing committee and representatives of the National Labor Party (PBN), who placed their party's flags and symbols around the university.

Party officials also gave an interview to a television camera crew in front of the university before the committee officially opened the rally.

Committee members protested the party's actions, asking them to remove their flags and symbols.

Surya Tjandra, one of the committee members, expressed anger that the party used the rally to further its own interests.

"They (PBN) acted as if this rally was part of their program. It's not a party campaign. They are not involved with the organizing committee," Surya, who also heads the worker division of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, said.

He said the rally committee, named the Action Committee of Oppressed People, was founded by the legal aid institute in cooperation with the University of Indonesia's Big Family, the Greater Jakarta Workers Union and the Workers Committee for Reform.

"Last week, we invited the party to join the committee but they refused. Now they come here and do not follow our schedule," he said.

Party officials eventually apologized and asked party members to remove the flags and symbols.

Another incident occurred before the rally began when a number of workers participating in the rally were locked out of the university campus. Security guards locked the university's gate, saying one of the university's deputy rectors had not issued a permit for the rally.

University students forcibly opened the gate to let the rally participants enter the campus. No further clashes occurred.

Meanwhile, six students from the university were questioned by police for distributing invitations to workers to join the "illegal" rally.

Two of the six students were arrested in Kalideres, West Jakarta, on Friday night, while the remaining four students were arrested in Cakung, North Jakarta, on Saturday.

Lawyer Surya and the police confirmed the questioning of the students. None of the students were detained. (jun)